{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "bskyPostRef": {
    "cid": "bafyreic5jmkjnmbcatud2a7g6wvyyyiurei3kwaiiuhnem5bbnbld7dkyq",
    "uri": "at://did:plc:oznbnvgr7dmvddiyvr7dih52/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnlaf7cdily2"
  },
  "coverImage": {
    "$type": "blob",
    "ref": {
      "$link": "bafkreih6flht4gskhrh6ocpjigirwdebjqr3sseqwbvi5ddj5wlpusqyim"
    },
    "mimeType": "image/jpeg",
    "size": 156854
  },
  "path": "/celebrity/karen-hauer-josh-widdicombe-presenting-bbc-strictly",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-05T20:57:00.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "Jeremy Clarkson responds to beer snub with 'threat' as he references historic sporting incident",
    "Channel 4 veteran newsreader Jon Snow reveals Alzheimer's diagnosis at 78",
    "All Creatures Great and Small star teases potential split for key characters ahead of season 7",
    "Janette Manrara also stepping away from spin-off programme It Takes Two.",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nKaren Hauer has offered her wholehearted backing for Josh Widdicombe's appointment as the new face of Strictly Come Dancing.\n\nThe former professional dancer, who spent 11 years on the BBC programme, expressed her enthusiasm for the change on Friday.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nMs Hauer partnered with the comedian for the 2024 Christmas Special, where the pair performed in penguin costumes.\n\n\"When they told us 'you're going to be dressed as penguins,' he was so onboard,\" she explained on ITV's Lorraine.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe Venezuelan-American dancer believes Mr Widdicombe's firsthand experience as a contestant gives him unique insight into the role.\n\n\"He's awesome, he's going to be brilliant because he's been in the trenches, he knows how the person is going to feel,\" she said of her former dance partner.\n\nMr Widdicombe will take over from Claudia Winkleman after she and Tess Daly confirmed their departures in 2025.\n\nHe will present the show alongside Emma Willis, who takes Ms Daly's former role, and Johannes Radebe, the former professional dancer.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe comedian's selection had been widely anticipated in the days before the official reveal, yet the announcement still surprised many viewers.\n\nSome questioned whether Mr Widdicombe possessed sufficient presenting credentials for such a high-profile role.\n\nOthers welcomed the prospect of fresh energy being injected into the long-running programme.\n\nMs Hauer's praise for Mr Widdicombe came shortly after she acknowledged the demanding nature of the BBC competition.\n\n### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS\n\n\n\n\n  * Jeremy Clarkson responds to beer snub with 'threat' as he references historic sporting incident\n  * Channel 4 veteran newsreader Jon Snow reveals Alzheimer's diagnosis at 78\n  * All Creatures Great and Small star teases potential split for key characters ahead of season 7\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nSpeaking about her decade-long stint on the programme, she reflected on the personal development she experienced.\n\n\"I grew up a lot during Strictly. I learnt so much about teaching someone and giving them confidence,\" she told ITV viewers.\n\nThe professional dancer described the intense atmosphere that comes with guiding celebrity contestants through their routines.\n\n\"It's very pressurised,\" she explained. \"When you're doing Strictly with someone who has never danced, you have to teach them how to move their body.\"\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nMs Hauer was one of several professional dancers confirmed to be leaving Strictly this year as the programme undergoes a substantial overhaul.\n\nHer exit was announced alongside those of Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk, Michelle Tsiakkas and Gorka Marquez.\n\nThe changes extend beyond the main show, with Janette Manrara also stepping away from spin-off programme It Takes Two.\n\nMs Manrara, 42, served as a professional dancer on the BBC series from 2013 to 2020 before co-hosting the companion show with Fleur East since 2021.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nIn a YouTube video, she explained her decision to move on after 14 years with the franchise.\n\n\"Strictly Come Dancing has now changed hugely. I'm no longer a part of It Takes Two or the main show,\" she said.\n\nShe added that leaving would allow her to explore opportunities she had previously never considered.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "Karen Hauer gives verdict on Josh Widdicombe's presenting role following BBC Strictly exit: 'He's been in the trenches'"
}